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Breast Cancer: Statistics

What are statistics?

Statistics are numbers that are used to measure certain things. Some people use statistics to figure out their chances of getting cancer. Or they use them to try to figure out their chance of recovery. Because no two people are alike, statistics can’t be used to predict what will happen to one person. The statistics below describe large groups of people. They don’t take into account a person's own risk factors. These may include family history, behaviors, or not having cancer screenings. If you have questions, talk with your healthcare provider.

What are the statistics for breast cancer?

Here are some statistics about breast cancer:

About 246,660 women and 2,600 men in the U.S. will be told they have invasive breast cancer in 2016.

Breast cancer is the cancer second-most often diagnosed in women. Skin cancer is the cancer most often diagnosed in women.

Breast cancer ranks second as a cause of cancer death in women. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women.

A woman’s risk of having breast cancer increases as she gets older.

About 40,450 women and 440 men will die from breast cancer in 2016.

Death rates from breast cancer have been going down since 1989. This is thought to be due to better treatment and better ways to find it early, when it's small and easier to treat.